Nishiki (bicycle)
Encyclopedia
Nishiki was a brand
of bicycles designed, specified, marketed and distributed by West Coast Cycle in the United States, initially manufactured by Kawamura Cyles in Kobe
, Japan
and subsequently by Giant
of Taiwan. The bicycles were first marketed under the American Eagle brand beginning in 1965 and later under the Nishiki brand until 2001.
Throughout the U.S. bike boom
of the 1970s and into the 1980s, Nishiki and West Coast Cycle competed with domestic companies including Schwinn, Huffy
, and Murray
; European companies including Raleigh
, Peugeot
and Motobecane
— as well as other nascent Japanese brands including Miyata
, Fuji, Bridgestone, Panasonic, Univega
, Lotus
and Centurion
— itself a line of Japanese-manufactured bicycles that were specified, distributed and marketed by Western States Imports (WSI), a U.S. company similar to West Coast Cycle. Japanese-manufactured bikes succeeded in the U.S. market until currency fluctuations in the late 1980s made them less competitive, leading companies to source bicycles from Taiwan.
When Cohen Sr. passed away in 1963, Howie Cohen traveled to Japan to find new sources for bicycles, and especially, a Japanese bicycle factory capable of producing high quality bikes that would be welcomed by U.S. independent bike dealers
and the bicycling community; bicycles that would be able to compete with American and European-built bicycles.
After visiting over 60 bicycles factories over a period of six weeks, Cohen turned to Kawamura Cycles. Kawamura had produced quality bicycles for the Japan domestic market, but at the directive of their overseas buyers, had produced lower-quality, lower-priced bicycles for the U.S. market, for example, under the brand name 'Royce Union.'
Cohen also created working relationships with Japanese bicycle parts manufacturers including Asahi, Araya, Dia-Compe, Kashima, Kusuki, Kyokuto (KKT), Mikashima (MKS), Mitsuboshi, Taihei, Sanshin, Shimano
, Sugino
, Takagi, Suntour
and others. Cohen travelled to Japan 8-10 times per year while developing his brands (American Eagle, Nishiki, Azuki and CyclePro).
Cohen placed his initial order for 570 bikes with Kawamura, selling them under the American Eagle brand. WCC sold tens of thousands of American Eagle bikes before changing the name — when a customer suggested it was disingenuous to put such an American-sounding name on a Japanese product.
WCC wanted a new, Japanese name that was easy to pronounce, with an inoffensive translation — and a name not easily mispronounced for comic or derisive effect. Cohen held a contest with Kawamura factory workers for Japanese names, choosing Nishiki for WCC's primary, nationwide line of bikes (after Saga Nishiki
and the gold Nishiki thread often woven into wedding kimono
s) — and Azuki for the secondary bicycle line (after the sweetened, red Azuki bean), using the chrysanthemum
as the Azuki logo.
A second line allowed WCC to market essentially identical bikes through more than a single dealership in a sales territory. Louisville Cycle & Supply (Louisville, KY) were sub-distributors for both brands in the Southeast, and Pettee Cycle (Denver, CO) were sub-distributors of both brands in Colorado and surrounding states. Kawamura trademarked both names for the Japanese Domestic Market and Europe, WCC trademarked the brands for the USA. Early promotional material for American Eagle and Nishiki lines often carried the tagline 'KB Bicycles' or simply 'KB' — signifying 'Kawamura-Built.' WCC continued also to market the bicycle brands of Mundo, Caloi, Windsor, Zeus, and Mondia.
Howie Cohen served as President of WCC from 1965 until his retirement in 1976, with WCC subsequently operated by his brother, Leo Jr. and outside investors. Through the 1980s WCC continued to sell Nishiki bikes produced by Kawamura. International currency fluctuations in the late 1980s made Japanese-manufactured bicycles far more expensive and less competitive in the United States, leading WCC to move Nishiki production to Giant of Taiwan. Leo Cohen and his associates later sold West Coast Cycle to Medalist — with Derby International eventually acquiring the rights from West Coast Cycle to market bikes under the Nishiki brand in the United States.
After manufacture of Nishiki bikes shifted to Giant, Kawamura continued manufacturing bicycles for the Japanese and European markets (including private label bikes for Takara, Schwinn, and others), to be subsequently acquired by the sporting goods company Mizuno.
Howie Cohen later founded the company Everything Bicycles, working with Kuwahara to build and import BMX bikes carrying the Kuwahara brand name, developing the first major BMX distributorship — and ultimately supplying Kuwahara bicycles for the 1982 movie E.T.
and securing the right to market the "ET Bicycle." To make make the Kuwahara brand name a household word, Cohen ran a promotion giving free stickers to children who called a toll-free phone number and could correctly pronounce the brand name. In 1989, Cohen sold the Kuwahara name back to the Japanese parent company. In 1992, Cohen returned to the bicycle industry to assist the Gary Fisher
bike brand — 18 months later brokering the acquisition of Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes by Trek Bicycle Corporation
. Howie later worked as a consultant in the bicycle industry for several companies, including Rotor Componentes of Spain. but has since fully retired from Lomita, California to Colorado where he and his wife, Kay (Kay Piercy Guithues Cohen) catalogue his collection of bicycling memorabilia and maintain his website, HowieBikeMan.com.
and Raleigh
brand names. These Nishiki models, though manufactured outside Japan (e.g., in Taiwan, by Giant Bicycles
and possibly in Italy by Colnago
, Olmo or Viner) often carried the name Nashiki and the same model names as had been used on the Kuwahara-built bicycles. The brand name Nishiki was retired by Derby in 2001 in North America.
Currently, Nishiki Europe, an unrelated group of European distributors markets bicycle models in Sweden
, Norway
, Denmark
, Belgium
, Germany
, the Netherlands and Estonia
. These bikes are produced in Taiwan
, the Netherlands, Finland
and Sweden
.
Kawamura manufactured frames (1972–1987): These frames used a serial number XYZZZZZ format where:
Giant manufactured frames (1980-1986*): With a date code generally stamped on the dropout on the drive side of the bike, these frames used a two part serial number in a G MM YY format, where:
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of bicycles designed, specified, marketed and distributed by West Coast Cycle in the United States, initially manufactured by Kawamura Cyles in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and subsequently by Giant
Giant Manufacturing
Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer which bills itself as the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. Giant has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Netherlands, and Mainland China.-History:...
of Taiwan. The bicycles were first marketed under the American Eagle brand beginning in 1965 and later under the Nishiki brand until 2001.
Throughout the U.S. bike boom
Bike boom
Bike boom or bicycle craze refers to several different times when, for a period of a few years, many people in many parts of Europe and North America wanted to buy and ride a bicycle. In brief, they occurred in 1819, 1868, the decade of the 1890s, and the 1970s...
of the 1970s and into the 1980s, Nishiki and West Coast Cycle competed with domestic companies including Schwinn, Huffy
Huffy
The Huffy Corporation is an American importer and manufacturer of inexpensive mass-market bicycles. It was founded in 1887 when George P. Huffman purchased the Davis Sewing Machine Company and moved its factory to Dayton, Ohio. Seven years later, in 1894, Huffman adapted the factory to...
, and Murray
Murray (bicycles)
Murray was an American company whose assets are now owned by Briggs & Stratton and Dorel Industries. The corporate brand is a descendant of the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company, which manufactured bicycles and lawn and garden equipment ....
; European companies including Raleigh
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
, Peugeot
Cycles Peugeot
Peugeot was a manufacturer in the French bicycle industry through the 20th century.-History:Peugeot was a French manufacturer of bicycles founded by Jean Pequignot Peugeot who, in the 19th century, made water mills...
and Motobecane
Motobécane
Motobécane was a French manufacturer of bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, and other small vehicles, established in 1923. "Motobécane" is a compound of "moto", slang for motorcycle; "bécane" is slang for "bike."...
— as well as other nascent Japanese brands including Miyata
Miyata
Miyata is a Japanese bicycle and unicycle manufacturer that has been in operation since 1892.Miyata claims to have been the first Japanese manufacturer of flash-butt welded frame tubes and the first to use electrostatic painting ....
, Fuji, Bridgestone, Panasonic, Univega
Univega
Univega is a brand of bicycles, created during the bike boom of the 1970s by Ben Lawee , who founded Lawee Inc. to design, specify, and import bicycles initially manufactured in Italy by Italvega, and subsequently in Japan by Miyata....
, Lotus
Lotus (bicycles)
Lotus was a brand of bicycles designed, specified, marketed and distributed by Lotus International Corp. of Syosset, New York, which had been founded by Sid and Ernst Star...
and Centurion
Centurion (bicycle)
Centurion was a brand of bicycles created in 1969 by Mitchell M. Weiner and Junya Yamakoshi, who co-founded Western States Import Co. in Canoga Park, California to design, specify, distribute and market the bicycles. The bikes themselves were manufactured initially in Japan by companies...
— itself a line of Japanese-manufactured bicycles that were specified, distributed and marketed by Western States Imports (WSI), a U.S. company similar to West Coast Cycle. Japanese-manufactured bikes succeeded in the U.S. market until currency fluctuations in the late 1980s made them less competitive, leading companies to source bicycles from Taiwan.
West Coast Cycle
West Coast Cycle was founded by Leo Cohen Sr. and RosaBelle Cohen who had previously been partners in Wheel Goods Corporation in Minneapolis, later moving to Los Angeles in 1946 to purchase an existing retail bicycle store, Atlas Cycle, renaming it Playrite Bicycle Supply Co.. The Cohens subsequently founded a bicycle, parts and accessory distribution company in the late 1950s, naming it West Coast Cycle Supply Company. They operated the company — widely known as West Coast Cycle (or WCC) — with their daughter Louise and sons Leo Jr. and Howie (Howard Sherwin Cohen). Howie Cohen subsequently took over the business, followed by his brother.When Cohen Sr. passed away in 1963, Howie Cohen traveled to Japan to find new sources for bicycles, and especially, a Japanese bicycle factory capable of producing high quality bikes that would be welcomed by U.S. independent bike dealers
Local bike shop
A local bike shop or local bicycle shop is a small business specializing in bicycle sale, maintenance and parts. The expression distinguishes small bicycle shops from large chains and mail-order or online vendors is abbreviated LBS...
and the bicycling community; bicycles that would be able to compete with American and European-built bicycles.
After visiting over 60 bicycles factories over a period of six weeks, Cohen turned to Kawamura Cycles. Kawamura had produced quality bicycles for the Japan domestic market, but at the directive of their overseas buyers, had produced lower-quality, lower-priced bicycles for the U.S. market, for example, under the brand name 'Royce Union.'
Cohen also created working relationships with Japanese bicycle parts manufacturers including Asahi, Araya, Dia-Compe, Kashima, Kusuki, Kyokuto (KKT), Mikashima (MKS), Mitsuboshi, Taihei, Sanshin, Shimano
Shimano
Shimano, Inc. is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components, fishing tackle, and rowing equipment.In 2005, the company had net sales of US $1.4 billion. Bicycle components provided 75% of its sales income...
, Sugino
Sugino
Sugino is a Japanese manufacturer of road and track bicycle components, founded in Nara, Japan, in 1910. It made a variety of cycling components, including cranksets and chainrings...
, Takagi, Suntour
SunTour
SunTour or SR Suntour is a manufacturer of bicycle components. It was Japanese owned and managed, based in Osaka, until the mid 1990s when its name was sold to a Taiwan conglomerate. Its products ranged from suspension forks to derailleurs...
and others. Cohen travelled to Japan 8-10 times per year while developing his brands (American Eagle, Nishiki, Azuki and CyclePro).
Cohen placed his initial order for 570 bikes with Kawamura, selling them under the American Eagle brand. WCC sold tens of thousands of American Eagle bikes before changing the name — when a customer suggested it was disingenuous to put such an American-sounding name on a Japanese product.
WCC wanted a new, Japanese name that was easy to pronounce, with an inoffensive translation — and a name not easily mispronounced for comic or derisive effect. Cohen held a contest with Kawamura factory workers for Japanese names, choosing Nishiki for WCC's primary, nationwide line of bikes (after Saga Nishiki
Saga Nishiki
is a form of brocading from Saga prefecture, Japan. It is a unique form of brocading in that Japanese paper is used as the warp. This paper is coated in either gold, silver or lacquer. The weft is a silk thread which is dyed...
and the gold Nishiki thread often woven into wedding kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
s) — and Azuki for the secondary bicycle line (after the sweetened, red Azuki bean), using the chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
as the Azuki logo.
A second line allowed WCC to market essentially identical bikes through more than a single dealership in a sales territory. Louisville Cycle & Supply (Louisville, KY) were sub-distributors for both brands in the Southeast, and Pettee Cycle (Denver, CO) were sub-distributors of both brands in Colorado and surrounding states. Kawamura trademarked both names for the Japanese Domestic Market and Europe, WCC trademarked the brands for the USA. Early promotional material for American Eagle and Nishiki lines often carried the tagline 'KB Bicycles' or simply 'KB' — signifying 'Kawamura-Built.' WCC continued also to market the bicycle brands of Mundo, Caloi, Windsor, Zeus, and Mondia.
Howie Cohen served as President of WCC from 1965 until his retirement in 1976, with WCC subsequently operated by his brother, Leo Jr. and outside investors. Through the 1980s WCC continued to sell Nishiki bikes produced by Kawamura. International currency fluctuations in the late 1980s made Japanese-manufactured bicycles far more expensive and less competitive in the United States, leading WCC to move Nishiki production to Giant of Taiwan. Leo Cohen and his associates later sold West Coast Cycle to Medalist — with Derby International eventually acquiring the rights from West Coast Cycle to market bikes under the Nishiki brand in the United States.
After manufacture of Nishiki bikes shifted to Giant, Kawamura continued manufacturing bicycles for the Japanese and European markets (including private label bikes for Takara, Schwinn, and others), to be subsequently acquired by the sporting goods company Mizuno.
Howie Cohen later founded the company Everything Bicycles, working with Kuwahara to build and import BMX bikes carrying the Kuwahara brand name, developing the first major BMX distributorship — and ultimately supplying Kuwahara bicycles for the 1982 movie E.T.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
and securing the right to market the "ET Bicycle." To make make the Kuwahara brand name a household word, Cohen ran a promotion giving free stickers to children who called a toll-free phone number and could correctly pronounce the brand name. In 1989, Cohen sold the Kuwahara name back to the Japanese parent company. In 1992, Cohen returned to the bicycle industry to assist the Gary Fisher
Gary Fisher
Gary Christopher Fisher is considered one of the inventors of the modern mountain bike.Fisher started competing in road and track races at 12. He was suspended in 1968 because race organizers cited a rule that his hair was too long. By 1972 this rule had been repealed and Fisher's career continued...
bike brand — 18 months later brokering the acquisition of Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes by Trek Bicycle Corporation
Trek Bicycle Corporation
Trek Bicycle Corporation is a major bicycle and cycling product manufacturer and distributor under brand names Trek, Gary Fisher, Bontrager, Klein and until recently, LeMond Racing Cycles...
. Howie later worked as a consultant in the bicycle industry for several companies, including Rotor Componentes of Spain. but has since fully retired from Lomita, California to Colorado where he and his wife, Kay (Kay Piercy Guithues Cohen) catalogue his collection of bicycling memorabilia and maintain his website, HowieBikeMan.com.
Derby
From 1989 through 2001, Derby International marketed bikes in the United States under the Nishiki as well as UnivegaUnivega
Univega is a brand of bicycles, created during the bike boom of the 1970s by Ben Lawee , who founded Lawee Inc. to design, specify, and import bicycles initially manufactured in Italy by Italvega, and subsequently in Japan by Miyata....
and Raleigh
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
brand names. These Nishiki models, though manufactured outside Japan (e.g., in Taiwan, by Giant Bicycles
Giant Manufacturing
Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer which bills itself as the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. Giant has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Netherlands, and Mainland China.-History:...
and possibly in Italy by Colnago
Colnago
Colnago is a manufacturer of high-end road-racing bicycles founded by Ernesto Colnago in 1954 near Milano in Cambiago, Italy. Instead of following his family's farming business Ernesto Colnago chose to work in the cycle trade, apprenticing first with Gloria Bicycles at 13, subsequently taking up...
, Olmo or Viner) often carried the name Nashiki and the same model names as had been used on the Kuwahara-built bicycles. The brand name Nishiki was retired by Derby in 2001 in North America.
Currently, Nishiki Europe, an unrelated group of European distributors markets bicycle models in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. These bikes are produced in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, the Netherlands, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Models
- Aero, Aero II
- Alouette
- Arrow Speed
- Bushwaker
- Carrera
- Century
- Cervino (possibly uncataloged)
- City Sport
- Comp, Comp II and Comp III
- Competition
- Continental
- Custom Sport
- Cresta
- International (earlier named Kokusai)
- Kokusai (later renamed International)
- Landau
- Linear
- Manitoba
- Marina
- Maxima (possibly uncataloged, frame only)
- Medalist
- Modulus
- NFS Alpha
- NFS Beta
- NFS Altron
- Olympiad (American Eagle)
- Olympic, Olympic Royal
- Prestige
- Professional
- Pueblo
- Rally
- Regal
- Riviera
- Road Compe
- Royale
- Safari
- Sebring
- Seral
- Semi-Pro (American Eagle)
- Sport, Custom Sport
- Super-five
- Superbe
- Team Issue
- Tri-A
- Triathlon
- Ultimate
- Ultima (possibly uncatalogued)
- Ultra Tour (uncatalogued, possibly specified by one store in Southern California, USA)
- Ultra Tour 18
Serial Numbers
Serial Numbers for Nikishi bikes were decoded by Tom Marshall, Canadian engineer, racer and runner, using a trial and error database methodology.Kawamura manufactured frames (1972–1987): These frames used a serial number XYZZZZZ format where:
- X is the market (C = Canada (pre-1985) K = USA (pre 1985) W = USA (1985–1987)).
- Y is the last digit of the manufacturing calendar year (A =1, B = 2, C = 3… J = 0. Exception is letter S, used on all frames prior to 1975).
- ZZZZZ is a five or six digit number, possibly representing a sequential frame manufacturing number for the year (or era in the case of pre 1975 frames).
-
- Example 1: KA24587 is the 24,587th frame produced in 1981 for the US market.
- Example 2: CG231117 is the 23,117th frame produced in 1977 for the Canadian market.
- Example 3: WE54612 is the 54,612th frame produced in 1985 for the US market.
Giant manufactured frames (1980-1986*): With a date code generally stamped on the dropout on the drive side of the bike, these frames used a two part serial number in a G MM YY format, where:
- G = Giant.
- MM = month (01 = Jan, 02 = Feb, etc.).
- YY = year (80 = 1980, 81 = 1981, etc.).
-
- Example: G0384 is a Giant-manufactured frame from March 1984.
External links
- Official Website for the European company (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden)
- Nishiki Bicycle History
- Nishiki Gallery
See also
- Saga NishikiSaga Nishikiis a form of brocading from Saga prefecture, Japan. It is a unique form of brocading in that Japanese paper is used as the warp. This paper is coated in either gold, silver or lacquer. The weft is a silk thread which is dyed...
- List of bicycle brands and manufacturing companies
- Giant ManufacturingGiant ManufacturingGiant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer which bills itself as the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. Giant has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Netherlands, and Mainland China.-History:...
- Giant was the original equipment manufacturerOriginal Equipment ManufacturerAn original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
for Nishiki of Japan for several years.